Parish Mass of Remembering
Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Please plan on joining us!
Remembering and praying for our loved ones in Christ

Eternal One,
you alone give meaning
to our being together
and our being apart.

DEATH AND BEYOND IN CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE

November is very much a transitional month. The glorious foliage of October has dropped from sight and the bare trees take on a stark, pleading look. The warmth of summer and early autumn is gone, and chilly winds whisk about the streets. It is not surprising, then, that November is a reflective time; a time to observe the changes in nature and give deeper thought to the cycles of life and death, of what is enduring in human life and what is passing.

Most appropriately, November begins with two special days: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. On the first, the faithful of Christ’s church gather for the celebration of the Eucharist to praise God and honor those who are permanently alive and joyous in heaven. The next day, we offer Masses for all who have gone before us into the mystery of death, and join the communion of saints.

A PRAYER FOR THE DEAD

Saints of God, come to their aid!
Come to meet them, angels of the Lord!
Receive their souls and
present them to God the Most High.
May Christ, who called them,
take them to himself.
May angels lead them to Abraham's side.

Give them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may your light shine on them forever.

All powerful and merciful God,
we commend to you
our parishioners, friends, and loved ones
who died in the past year.
In your goodness and love,
forgive any sins they may have committed
through human weakness.
In this world they have died;
let them live with you forever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.